Simplicity

I haven’t left my house in 11 days. I don’t know that I have ever been house bound in my life for 11 days. I was snowed in for 5 days during Winter Storm Atlas in 2013, but even then I trekked to visit my parents and neighbors.

During this 11 days I have discovered the remarkable contrast between “wants” and “needs”. In being stuck at home, unable to fulfill my every whim, I have discovered how much of my life was consumed by wants and I’m thankful to have had my eyes opened!

Philippians 4:19 “But my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

God is faithful! Our needs have been and will continue to be met. He gave me the wisdom to prepare in advance for this time of being home and has provided through the help of others everything else. Around the world He continues to supply for the needs of His people with the kindness of a stranger or the generosity of a friend. He may even choose to supply through miracle and send the ravens-nothing is too difficult for Him (1 Kings 17:6). When we put our hope in Him we can trust that He will supply our needs because He tells us he will!

Matthew 6:19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.”

I look back at the hustle and bustle of my life before all of this and I realize that so much my time was dedicated to “wants”. After a morning of homeschooling I was always eager to get out of the house and usually ended up shopping in the afternoon. This desire to “go” and “do” had very little to do with any true need. I have a hard time sitting still and shopping had become the antidote for an excuse to be “busy”. This “want” was often a waste of money and almost always a waste of time. When it comes to wants vs needs it’s nearly always about filling a void or trying to somehow feel secure in a time of insecurity, but nothing you can buy that, only God call fill that space.

No one needs 60 rolls of toilet paper or six month supply of food for a few weeks of self-isolation, but unfortunately we see panic buying stripping the shelves around the world. We want to feel secure, and it’s OK to desire to feel secure but no supply or luxury will secure us. The only security that we can rely on is God, He should be our hearts desire. We need Him and we should absolutely WANT more and more of Him!

We are called the hunger and thirst for God. Jesus is the only one who can satisfy our deepest longings. I pray that when life returns to some form of normal that I will not go back to old ways. I will remember who supplies all of my needs! I pray that He is my only source of wanting, because He is truly all that I need.

(Written March 31, 2020)

No Backup Plan

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” ~Proverbs 3:5-6

My whole life I have had a backup plan. Every time life throws something at me and often even before anything actually comes to pass, my mind becomes overcome with a way out, a way forward whether the threat is real or perceived. Truth be told these backup plans never come to pass and almost always steal my peace and distract my focus from God. Trying to out plan a situation instead of seeking God alone for His plan is nothing more than a distraction!

In this time of actual uncertainty I have decided to stand unmoved resting in the promises of God. The answers to the future are safe in His hands. Whatever control I grip tightly in my hands must be released if I am to receive what’s in His. I will trust our unknown future to the all knowing God! God is good, His mercy never fails and He holds my future!

Instead of analyzing everything going on and being consumed with outcomes I will meditate on God and seek Him for guidance about what I can do to serve Him effectively in this time and season. My focus needs to be on Him so that I know what He desires from me. He hast to be my first love!

When I gave my heart to Jesus I said “yes” to Him and His plan for my life. This relationship cannot have a Plan B. Just like entering a marriage thinking “if it doesn’t work out I’ll just get divorced,” dooms a union from the start. So too is choosing God but only trusting His plan when it goes your way. It’s an all or nothing! You are either in or out!

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” ~Jeremiah 29:11

I resolve to let go! To fall into His arms of grace when I cannot see the road ahead. There is no plan B, there is only God’s plan! I will give him my worries and fears and I will take hold of the peace that only He can give. There’s no better plan and the plan of God! 

Grow In Faith

Let’s be honest, times of trial are hard and uncomfortable and it can be difficult to shift our focus from the problems to the growth. Sometimes it’s hard to see how God might use all that you face to bring about good things but He can and will if we just press in!

“We need occasional mountaintop experiences, but the fertile soil for growth is always down in the valleys of tribulation, not on the mountaintops.” ~Neil T. Anderson

A muscle that is not offered any resistance or use will become weak, but a muscle that is pushed out of its comfort zone, a muscle that meets resistance will be strengthened! It doesn’t feel good at the time, but afterwards the result of strength and growth is evident as the muscle is able to take on a heavier load. The Lord is our strength, He helps us as we grow as our faith is tested.

We make it through the valleys we face, the trials and struggles by remembering the mountaintops! We don’t look at the problems but remember all of the things God has already done, knowing that He will help us once more. Taking time to reflect on all of the ways God has helped us in the past renews our heart of thanksgiving and sets us in a place of worship as He walks us through the trial. 

“He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭1:3‬ 

The rivers that feed the valley come from the mountain tops. This refreshing comes to us and renews our strength. God is our source of everything in every season! The valley is a fertile place because of the rivers, God takes us to where we can grow. God pours out upon us, He is generous in His love for us and cares for us without fail. The valley is not a place to fear, we can choose to rejoice when God allows our faith to be tested, because in the testing we are strengthened! 

If we stayed on the mountaintop we would not have the ability to grow. Our work that we are called to do, to reach the world with the message of hope in Jesus, cannot be done from the mountaintop. The valleys are our training field and our testimony is one of our greatest weapons against the enemy! 

“I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your doings; I muse on the work of Your hands.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭143:5‬ ‭

Take time today to look back at all God has done for you and rejoice that He will take care of you in what you face today!

Pro-Life, Pro-Love, Pro-Women

I am a LIFE Runner and I will not be preoccupied with things that will try to pull me away from the ministry that God has called me to. Now is the time when reaching women in crisis is even more vital. An unplanned pregnancy is overwhelming on its own, but add a global crisis and it is exponentially compounded. Now is the time when all Christians must be even more diligent and committed to reaching out to the women who are carrying the future in their womb! These children are truly a blessing, they are a gift.

In America and other nations around the world we see the abortion industry continues to wage war against the unborn and promote abortion to the most vulnerable women in our societies. They tell them that abortion is the answer in a crisis but abortion is never the answer, especially in a crisis! 

If you are pregnant and scared about the future we are here for you and will help you in any way we can. Life is always the right choice, you will never regret choosing life for your child. God is more than able to supply for all of your needs. You don’t have to face this alone, we are here...

Time is a Gift

A few weeks ago most of us were still going about our daily lives. We were preoccupied with our usual things and living out our routines. Going to work, taking care of our households, gathering with friends, but now for most of us, that routine has been flipped upside down! 

“We all make time for what we feel is important in our lives.” ~Anonymous

We have been given a rare opportunity. An opportunity of time! For maybe the first time in many of our lives we are faced with more time at home together as a family than we have ever had and what a gift that can be! We can spend hours on social media letting worry overcome or try to hide away lost in endless Netflix binge watching OR we can use this time to let God speak to our hearts! To bring our families closer to the Lord together. To remember that our homes are our first place of ministry.

1 Peter 4:10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God‘s grace in various forms.

We were created for so much more than the routine! Our Identity is far too often planted in things of this world and that is a wake up call for many of us. As followers of Christ you are a child of God, redeemed and created to do Gods will! You are not of this world and have been called to the greatest commission as ambassadors of Christ! We all have a purpose and God designed you with something special that only you can do. This time of being locked in can be a blessing if we use it wisely! 

Isaiah 60:1 Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.

These days of being home are a time to seek God on how we can make a difference or rise to another level. If anything, this is a reminder that time is short and people are perishing, and the world needs Jesus now more than ever! This time we have been given is an opportunity to spend more time on our knees, more time in the Word, more time waiting on God to reveal our hearts to us.

This can be an awakening to even bigger things that God is calling us to. We may be confined in our homes but we have work to do, we have people to reach, there are things that need to be done that God will ask us to do. Let us see this time as a gift, a gift to prepare us to reach a hurting world in new ways. 

2 Thessalonians 2:14 He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Love One Another

“I cannot do all the good that the world needs. But the world needs all the good that I can do.” ~Jana Stanfield

There is no greater thing we can do in this life than to love one another. In a world that is very “me” focused we are called to put others first and that is what we must do! I believe that this crisis is awakening community once again in our hearts. We are being reminded to look to the needs and the protection of those around us. 

Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. ~Romans 13:10

This is a unique time where thinking of others is actually life or death for some. We are fighting an invisible enemy, an enemy that is deadly to some, that can be carried silently and shared without warning. Does that mean we should live in fear? No, we walk by faith, but we should be diligent to protect the most vulnerable and the community around us. 

This is a time that calls for community to come together by staying apart. We have been asked to make lifestyle changes to protect others, to stop gathering in groups and to avoid going out unless necessary. This is not too much to ask to save lives. 

No one should seek their own good, but the good of others. ~1 Corinthians 10:24

Out of this time of trouble we will see the best and the worst of humanity. We each choose how we will respond. Do we hoard supplies or leave things we don’t need on the shelf for others? Do we stay home as much as possible or carryon with life as if nothing has changed because we are young and healthy? Do we help out a friend in need even though we might be scared? We all must choose, so I pray we choose community by putting others well being first and protecting us all.

Miracles in this time can be the small (and big) acts of kindness that we extend to one another. God is asking His people to be the hands and feet of Jesus and in this case staying home may be the biggest act of kindness we can ever extend to one another.

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
~Galatians 6:10

The Battle Belongs to the Lord

Today take a moment and breathe, this battle belongs to the Lord!

This attack that we are facing is truly threefold; it is an attack on us spiritually, it is an attack on us physically and it is in attack on us emotionally. As I started my Bible study and quiet time my heart was overwhelmed by the message God was laying before me. God is so present and available to us, we are not alone! It’s so vital to be in the Word and prayer to hear Him.

In 2 Chronicles 20 we read that Judah was under attack. The King Jehoshaphat turned to God as did the nation of Judah in this time of distress.

2 Chronicles 20:4 “So Judah gathered together to seek help from the Lord; they even came from all the cities of Judah to seek the LORD.”

In their time of distress they turn to God. They went to the true source of help and hope! They were facing three enemies, they were outnumbered and they knew it. Jehoshaphat prayed on behalf of his nation.

Jehoshaphat prayed;

“Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD before the new court, and he said, “O LORD, the God of our fathers, are You not God in the heavens? And are You not ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand so that no one can stand against You. Did You not, O our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel and give it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever? They have lived in it, and have built You a sanctuary there for Your name, saying, ‘Should evil come upon us, the sword, or judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before You (for Your name is in this house) and cry to You in our distress, and You will hear and deliver us. ’ Now behold, the sons of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom You did not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt (they turned aside from them and did not destroy them), see how they are rewarding us by coming to drive us out from Your possession which You have given us as an inheritance. O our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You.” All Judah was standing before the LORD, with their infants, their wives and their children.”
‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭20:5-13‬ ‭

God answered through Jahaziel;

“and he said, “Listen, all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: thus says the LORD to you, ‘Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s. Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the valley in front of the wilderness of Jeruel. You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for the LORD is with you.” Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the LORD, worshiping the LORD.”
‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭20:15-18‬ ‭

I cried as I read these words. A true reminder of our omnipotent and all loving God who does not leave us in our despair but fights for us! What must we do? We must seek God, we must not fear and we must stand in faith! 

When the time came the people of Judah began singing and praising and God destroyed the attacking army, by having them attack each other. At the scariest hour of their crisis they glorified God and He defeated their enemy!

God is the same today as He was from the beginning. He is unchanged! Now is our time to turn to God in full surrender, to seek Him, to trust Him and give Him the glory! Today is the hour to lift up our voices in thanksgiving, to praise and worship God and declare victory!